A Perfect Brightness of Hope
In one of his most well-known invitations, Nephi wrote this to us towards the end of his record: “Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men” (2 Nephi 31:20). To have a steadfastness in Christ is to have steady faith and trust in Him, so this is really an invitation to cultivate the three Christian virtues: faith, hope, and charity. Of the three, hope probably receives the least amount of attention, but it should not be overlooked. Mormon taught us clearly what hope is in gospel terms. He wrote, “And again, my beloved brethren, I would speak unto you concerning hope. How is it that ye can attain unto faith, save ye shall have hope? And what is it that ye shall hope for? Behold I say unto you that ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal, and this because of your faith in him according to the promise. Wherefore, if a man